Optical testing instrument.



1. P. FORTH. V OPTICAL TESTING INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION I'IL'ED SEPT.12, 1908.

947,153. 5 Patena.1an.18,191o.

Ira/maior.

JOI-IN F. FORTI-I, F SYRACUS-E, NEW YORK.

OPTICAL TESTING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jail, 18, 1910.

i Application filed September 12, 1908. SerialvNo. 452,706.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. FORTH, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Optical Testing Instrul'nents, of which the following,'taken in connection with the accompanying`y drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in optical testing instruments of the class set forth in my Patent No. 874,179, issued December 17, 1907 except that in the present instance it refers more to means whereby the device may be supported upon a wall, desk, chair or similar support and also relates to certain vertically andy horizontally adjustable parts of the main supporting bracket and to certain adjustable means whereby the head of the patient may be properly adjusted to the trial frames when testing the eyes.

One of the Objects of my invention is to provide an optical testing instrument which may be readily applied to the side ofa wall, desk or chair and which may be rotated or extended vertically and horizontally at will.

Another object is to provide the main supporting bracket with a separately adjustable support for the trial frame.

Another object is to provide the trial frame with a forehead rest adjustable relatively to the trial frames to permit the eyes of the patient to be brought to the same position relatively to the lenses at different trials.

Other objects and uses relating` to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

1n the drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved optical testing instrument as applied to the side of an upright support. Fig. Q is a side elevation partly in section of the same instrument. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view partly inelevation of telescoping' portions of the mainr support showing means for adjusting one of the parts relatively to the other. Figs. 1, 5,

G and 7 are sectional views taken respec.

tively on lines 4 4, 5 5, 6 6 andl 7 7-, Fig. Q. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of one of the lens holders of the trial frame and means for rotating the portion thereof carrying one of the lenses. Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9, Fig. 8.

In carrying out the objects stated, I provide an upright tubular supportingv bar lits adjusted position.

1 which is rotatingly mounted and adjustable vertically in split bearings Q thelatter being securedI by suitable fastening means'as screws 3 to the upright side of. any suitablesupport-' such as a` wall,desk or chair.

A collar' 5 is adj'usta'bly secured to by screws 6 to hold the tubular post 1 against rotation. This tubular post, however, may be adjusted inthe bearing Q by loosening the collar 5 and moving it to its adjusted position and again bringing the collar into engagement with the adjacent bearing and retightening the set screw 6` to hold the post against downward movement by its own gravity. This tubular post is provided with an adjustable extension 7 telescoping with the upper end thereof which is provided with a split head S and clamping screw 9 for holding the extension 7 in This extension. is also provided with a lengthwise key way 10 in one side and toothed rack 11 on its opposite side, the key-way 10 receiving one end of a screw 1Q- to prevent turning of the extension 7 and at the same time lpermitting its vertical adjustment relatively to the post 1 A portion of the head 8- is enlarged forming a housing 13 in which is placed a pinion 124- which is securedV toA a shaft 15 and meshes with the toothed rack 11 for adjusting the extension 7 vertically, said shaft and pinion being ro'- tated by one or more, preferably twohand pieces 1G- located at the head 8 The extension 7 is provided with a lateral horizontal offset V 17 telescoping with one end of a horizontal tubular eX*- tension 1'8 having a split head 19 and clampingscrew Q0 for frictionally clamping` the tubular extension 1S to the horizontal offset 17 y The opposite end of the horizontal tubu- '10?) opposite sides of y lar extension 18 is provided with a splitf head in which is adjustable' a horizontal extension 22 having a toothed rack 28 the latter meshing with a pinion 24tin the head 21 and provided with a lengthwise key-way 25 which receives the inner end of a screw 26 to prevent turning of the bar 22 and at thev same time allowing its longitudinal movement in the head 21 and the extension 18 said split heading having a screw 27 for frictionally clamping the bar 22- in its adjusted position. The pinion 24- is rotated by an external hand wheel 28- to permit the adjustment of the bar 22 to the desired position. The eXtreme outer end of the bar 22 is reduced in diameter and upon this reduced end is tit-ted a U-shaped clamp or split hub 80 which is held in place by a clamping screw 31 and is adapted to receive and retain an upright bar 32 for supporting the trial frames. The upper end of this bar is adjustable in the split hub 80 and is frictionally held in its adjusted position by the clamping screw 31 A horizontal guide bar E5/1 is clamped to the lower end of the bar 32 by means of a removable clamping plate 35- and suit-able clamping screws 36- which clamping plate also serves to embrace and retain the central portions of a pair of adjusting screws 37 and 38 which are located at opposite sides of the guide bar 3 the latter extending uniform distance beyond the lower end of the upright bar 32 Secured to the opposite ends of this guide bar are bearing plates 3$ in which the opposite ends of the screws 37 and 38 are journaled, the intermediate portions of said screws being threaded and their opposite outer ends provided with hand pieces 10 and 41 whereby the screws may be turned by hand.

A pair of temple guards M are mounted upon the guide rod M equi-distant from opposite sides of the lower end of the bar 32 to slide lengthwise thereof, said temple guards being provided with threaded apertures for receiving the screw 37 the portions of the screw 37 at opposite sides of the lower end of the bar 3Q-- being of opposite pitch or right and left hand and the threaded apertures in the temple guards Q are made to correspond with the threads of opposite pitchV so that when the adjusting screw 37 is rotated by hand, the temple guards will be adjusted in opposite directions to the same degree toward or from the adjacent portion of the bar 39, thereby permitting the temple guards to conform to foreheads of different widths. V

A pair of trial frames 45 are mounted upon and depend from the guide rod M equi-distant from opposite sides of the rods 32 and are also provided with alined threaded apertures engaging the screw 3S the opposite ends of which are ot different pitch to cause the trial frames to move in opposite directions as the screw is rotated.

Secured to the lower end of the vertical bars 32- is a pendent arm lt in which is mounted a horizontally sliding har M and a screw iS- the sliding bar iT- being provided at its front end with. a forehead rest or plate t$l disposed in a plane in front of the trial frames 4 said sliding bar together with the forehead rest 1S) being adapted to be adjusted horizontally by the screw 4-S to bring the forehead rest M nearer to or farther from the trial frames M as may be necessitated by the condition of the eyes of the patient, the screw ft8 engaging a threaded aperture in the pendent arin -'1-(' and has its opposite ends journaled in the bar M at the front and rear of said arnis lG and is provided at its rear end with a hand piece 50- for rotating the screw and thereby adjusting the forehead rest: fl9 to the desired position relatively to the trial frames 15 Each of the trial frames is provided with an annular groove in which is journaled a rotary lens holder ring M having a toothed periphery engaged by a toothed idler 5dthe latter being join'- naled on the frame atat the outside of the periphery of the ring M and serves as a means for rotating the ring 53- with one or more lenses thereon. This ring 5l is provided with three point-beariugsl for the lenses and is also provided with a` spring detent- 58- adapted to engage the periphery of the lens to frictionally hold it in place during the fitting of the lenses to the eyes. In addition to this rotary lens holder ring 53 I have provided additional lens holders 59- and 60 located respectively at the front and rear of the ring 53 and frame 45 each of said lens holders being provided. with three point-bearings G1 and 62 for the lenses.

Each of the trial frames 4:5 is made in ring form and graduated in the usual inanner to indicate the position of the optical axis of the lenses during the operation of testing the eyes.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that aside ffrom the ability to clamp this entire device to a wall, desk or chair, it may be extended vertically by rotating the hand wheel 1G to bring the trial frames 4V to the desired height for the eyes of the person when in a standing or sitting position or said trial frames may be adjusted horizontally by the hand wheel 2S to conform to the position of the patient. In addition to these adjustments the bar 32 carrying the screw fllafter which it may be retightened to hold the trial frames in their adjusted positions.

The temple guards may be adjusted laterally toward and from the other by the screw 3T- to conform to foreheads of different widths while the trial frames may be similarly adjusted by means of the screw -3$- to conform to the different pupilary distances of different patients.

One of the important features of my invention, however, is the provision of the forehead guard 49- and means for adjusting the same toward and from the trial. frames so that in testing the eyes for different lenses the eyes of the patient may each time be brought to the position of the lenses or trial frames.

When the lenses are placed in the rotary supporting ring 5S- the latter may be rotated around the graduations by means of the hand wheels 5dthus affording a convenient means for adjusting the lenses 'to the eyes.

That I claim is:

l. In an optical testing instrument, a wall bracket, an upright tubular standard adjustable vertically in said bracket, means for holding the tube in its adjusted position, an extension bar guided in the tube and provided with a lateral offset, means for raising and lowering said extension bar, a separate extension bar mounted on the lateral offset and provided with an adjustable horizontal extension, means for adjusting said horizontal extension, a vertically adjustable bar mounted on said extension, and trial frames on the vertically adjustable bar.

2. In an optical testing instrument, a

horizontal guide rod, a support for the guide rod, screws journaled on the support parallel with the guide rod and each provided with a right hand thread and a left hand thread at opposite sides of the support, trial frames having nuts engaging the threads of one screw, temple guards having nuts engaging the threads of the other screw, a pendent arm on the support, and a forehead rest slidably mounted on the pendent arm between the trial frames.

3. In an optical testing instrument, a support for a guide rod, a screw centrally j ournaled on the support and having its ends threaded in opposite directions, a guide rod on the support parallel with said screw, trial frames slidable on said rod at opposite ysides of the support and provided with nuts engaging the threads of the screw, a forehead rest slidable on the support at right angles to the screw, and a separate screw for adjusting said rest.

4. InA an optical testing instrument, an upright supporting bar having a pendent arm provided with a threaded aperture and a guide opening, a horizontal guide rod mounted on the bar, a screw centrally journaled in the upright bar parallel with the guide rod, trial frames slidable on the opposite ends of the guide rod and provided with nuts engaging said screw, a forehead rest slidable in said guide opening in the pendent arm, andan adjusting screw engaged in the threaded aperture of said pendent arm and also engaged with the forehead rest for moving the latterback and forth.

It witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7 th day of September 1908.

JOHN n. FORTH.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, CAROLINE M. MCCORMACK. 

